In a chain of trust scheme, certificates are often trusted based on the validity of “higher ranking” certificates. At the highest level of certificates, there is typically a root certificate or self-signed certificate which provides the ultimate in attestation authority in the chain of trust scheme.
In some existing conventional systems, root certificates are generally pre-installed in an operating system, pushed through operating system auto-updates or through corporate policy controls. The end-user typically is not involved in installing root certificates on their computer. Such systems may not permit the user to readily transfer root certificates to create new or temporary secure relationships.
Additional difficulties with existing systems may be appreciated in view of the detailed description below.
Like reference numerals are used throughout the Figures to denote similar elements and features.